It isn't the official name given to mages such as yourself; the official designation for a practitioner of such a peculiar magic style differs from region to region. In the venerable West where civilization first arose, your kind is known as Kinetomancers. In the far reaches of the East, you are called Warrior Monks or Ki/Chi Users. Within the confines of the frigid North, you are venerated as Berserkers. In the untamed wilds of the South, you are hailed as Shamans and Spirit Sages.

Fist Wizard is the title you think fits your personal style of magic best, a practitioner of both the magical arts and martial prowess. But regardless of the name, every mage who wields magic with their bare fists share one thing in common.

You all fight with your fists.

And your fists are sometimes magical.

With your particular skillset, you have enrolled into the Imperial College for Magic and Higher Learning in the hopes of expanding your craft and become a better practitioner of Fist Wizardry. Thus, your story continues.

You make a non-committal noise in the back of our throat, watching your roommate's sleeping form on the infirmary bed as the College healer looks over you over for injuries. Beside you, Saki observes the healer's work with apparent interest and pouts at your simplistic answer. The Oriental young woman sighs and leans back, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Mou, why do you ignore me so, Kurt-kun?" she whines. "I'm just trying to strike up some conversation."

"Because I do not trust you to remain on the original topic of the conversation for long without it deviating towards improper topics." you grumble, before turning to the healer. "Are you finished, ma'am? My friend and I still have classes to attend."

"To hell with that!" the older woman cries out, hands caressing your arm. "Your muscle system is ridiculously well-developed! The tissue has somehow been compressed into denser clusters around the bone and cartilage and they conduct magic better than any enchanted material I know! I must get a sample!"

"And we are leaving." you gently pry the healer's hand off you and stand. "Let us go, Saki. The others must be getting worried."

"Kay~" the young woman sings over the protests and pleading of the healer behind you. "I wonder if Sacchan's made any progress with the other two..."

"Progress?"

"Nothing for you to worried your little head over~"

Before you step out the door, you cast one last glance over your shoulder to your roommate, laying on the infirmary bed and sleeping soundly.

The two of you wind up in an empty hallway and start your trek back to the training arena where Spellwork class was still in session. Saki, unsurprisingly, immediately latches onto your arm like a barnacle and holds tight. Such is the strength in her grip that you lift her off the ground and she still remains attached.

"Mmm~ You're so strong~" Saki grins. "I really like how your muscles flex, Kurt-kun~ They move like this is a common occurrence. Do you lift young maidens with one arm frequently back home?"

"I have lifted any things with one arm back in my hometown. People among them." you answer. "Semi-frequently hunting monsters requires some degree of lifting after all."

"Do you lift often, though~?" Saki starts moving and your iron-clad self-discipline is put to the test against her frontal softness. "Do you still go to the gym? How much do you lift, if you don't mind me asking~?"

"I lift enough to keep myself healthy." you look down the hallway, then sigh. "Will you let go of my arm?"

"Mmm... Nope!" Saki giggles. "Carry me manservant!"

You narrow your gaze, half-tempted to just open the window and hurl the young woman off your arm to the training arena. She has proven herself capable of surviving such combat stress, and you doubt she would have trouble figuring out how to land. And Sachi might even approve of your rough handling of her sister; it would teach her to keep acting in such an improper manner.

But though you are a Fist Wizard first and man second, you are nontheless a man. And men do not hurl away women without good justification.

>>2707933You manage a few minutes of comfortable trekking without much in the way of interruptions. A few passing students stopped and gawked at the sight of you walking past with an arm outstretched and Saki hanging off it like the clingy barnacle she is. You yourself would have stopped and and looked if a peculiar sight so happened to amble past, but alas, it would appear that you are that peculiarity today.

"Heeeh~" Saki giggles. "This is kinda fun!"

"And very uncomfortable for my arm, you understand." you sigh again as you reach a door and step outside. "While I might not be like most men, even I have my limits."

"Aw~ Is the strong Fist Wizard saying her can't carry a helpless maiden from one place to another?" Saki smiles at you, eye closed.

"Well, it would be easier if you were not as hea--"

Something passes you and you feel the slightest nick across your right cheek, prompting you to pause in your speech. Saki's closed-eye smile remains, but the temperature around her has noticeably dropped despite the sun clearly hanging high up n the sky.

>>2707939You know that look. It was the same close-eyed smile your sisters would give you whenever you were about to negatively comment on their choice of clothes if they brought you out shopping. It was the same air of quiet malice that your mother would radiate whenever you returned home from training after left behind mud tracks on her recently mopped floor. It was the look your master warned you about whenever your current conversation somehow wandered onto the subject of women.

Of how they could be more terrifying than the monsters you regularly faced. Of how their soft voices hid the brass of authority. How they could transform between monstrous of tyrants and loving angels at the slightest provocation.

'Should you ever run into a situation where a woman may transform into such a terrifying force' you recall your master saying 'The best thing you cold do was keep your mouth shut.'

"Nothing at all." you shake your head. "Come, we must hurry."

"Tehee~" Saki giggles, the cold air around you vanishing in an instant. "Good boy. Onwards then, manservant!"

You blink in awe at your master's wisdom and continue onwards. Truly you had much more to learn before you could reach to his level!

>>2707975You return to the training arena to find Mister Edwards overseeing the rest of the class practicing their spells and giving pointers to whomever he thinks is flagging behind. Your group of friends are doing their own spellwork training at the stands; with JoJo putting Star Platinum through several stances, Mellow jotting down something in his little notebook, and Sachi...

"Kurt-ku, let me down." Saki hisses. "My imoutou's being indecent!"

"She is merely napping on Mellow's lap." you point out confused. "What indecency is there in that?"

"She's having a lap pillow despite her droll personality when her own hot onee-san can't even get a quick hug from the three hot guys she's constantly surrounded with!" Saki hisses again, now kicking her legs. "Put me down this instant!"

You look at the envious young woman literally hanging off your arm, her hair rising and undulating like hissing vipers as her eyes glow an ominous purple. Then you look at her sister, snoozing comfortably on your friend's lap without a care in the world and looking like the most peaceful individual you've ever received the honor of seeing.

With how rowdy her sister normally is, you think Saki deserves some time to catch up on rest.

>>2707980"Hm? Ah, Mister Vander!" Mister Edwards turns to you as you approach. "Good to see you have returned. I heard from Mister Proudmoore that you sent Miss Philia to the infirmary after she overexerted herself and reopened her injury. Is she alright?"

"She is resting, last we checked. The healer was very adamant that she let the medicine and healing magics within her settle to kickstart the healing process." you answer. "It took some convincing, but we got Philia to lay down and rest. I plan on checking up on her after classes to see if she is still resting as she has been told to do."

"It is nice to see such concern in today's youth for their fellows." Mister Edwards smiles. "You were raised well, Mister Vander."

"Right?" Saki giggles, though the sound carries an edge within it. "Now, if only he followed his parents' other teachings and not let a woman stew in injustice."

"Envying your sibling for managing a feat you have not is unhealthy for your relationship." you chastise her. "If you truly wish to get back at Sachi for her apparently amazing feat, then do not express your dislike through arguing. Use that leftover energy to better yourself rather than throw barbs."

"I'm not jealous! I'm mad!" Saki pouts, huffing and looking away. "How could she do something improper when I get scolded for it? It's so not fair!"

"Is there something the matter between you and your sister Miss Hasegawa?" Mister Edwards chimes in.

"She's getting a lap pillow!" Saki whines. "Her! The stick-up-her-butt Sacchan! How does she get the good stuff without even trying while I have to shed blood, sweat, and tears for it?!"

>>2707988>Overall performance review?>Inquire after that first thousand-cuts-style wide-area defensive spell that he used - could we achieve something similar with our fists?Disregard women, acquire learning.

>>2707988"Sir, I mean no disrespect," you start, voice hollow. "But this question must be asked. What have you done?"

"I-I merely gave Miss Hasegawa some a-advice as to level the playing f-field between herself a-and her sister." your instructor says. "S-she looked a little put out by h-how far her sister has gotten with the b-boys, so I figured that maybe some a-advice would be sufficient to p-placate her." he takes a step back. "M-Mister Vander, your eyes are..."

"I understand if you find my current expression fearsome sir, but there is very good reason behind it." you continue, voice empty. "You know not the woman that is Saki Hasegawa, sir. She is a vixen beyond compare, with an insatiable lust to do improper things and constantly testing my and my fellow males' self restraint with how she acts."

"I-Is she really that bad?"

"I have begin thinking about warding my room to ensure she does not break into it whilst I am sleeping to take advantage of me." you shudder. "And I fear she is looking for less savoury way to get into my trousers. If she were learn how to appeal to males in her age group... then she may learn how to appeal to those beyond it."

It takes Mister Edwards to connect the dots, but connect they do in the end and he pales at the thought of improper student-teacher relations. You nod.

"You understand now, the mistake you may have committed?" you ask. "If anything happens, it will be on your head."

"R-Right..." he sighs, defeated.

"Regardless..." you clear your throat. "Could I perhaps obtain a more in-depth review of my performance in our spar earlier?"

“An in-depth review?” Mister Edwards rubs his chin. “Hmm. Very well. Be sure to pay close attention to the points I will bring up, as I may not be repeating them again.”

"Understood." you nod.

"Right. Well. Obviously, your physical combat style is one of the best I've seen in an Imperial College student. You, Mister Proudmoore, and Mister Joestar outclass most other students in terms of combat skill and battle techniques; the Imperial Military would have loved to put any of you three in a single squad or lead your own. You would have made incredible soldiers and front-line mages."

"On the magic side however, aside from you replicating the force-amplifying mana flow that gave that Smash of yours such force, you are quite lacking." he holds up a finger. "I have a feeling that this is intentional, however. Whomever taught you the art of magic you practice must have focused on the physical aspect of it first to prepare you for the stresses Kinetomancy puts on the user's body. He purposely did not teach you much in the way of proper spellwork for some reason or another."

"I noticed that as well during my time training under him." you nod. "He said that his personal style of Fist Wizardry was too potent to be passed down to me, so he set the foundations upon which I could build my own unique style."

"Ah, I see. That would explain how you can grasp certain aspects of spellwork within a short time." Mister Edwards nods. "Which brings me to my opinion on you throughout the spar. Simply put Mister Vander, right now you are a dull blade. No less dangerous than any other sword, but with the potential to be honed into something even more impressive. And to do that, I recommend you cover your weaknesses or find further enhance your strengths."

>>2708028"Either spreading out or doubling down, hm?" you muse. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"You could perhaps focus your spellwork and mana control into granting yourself more speed or increasing your durability. That way, you can either close the distance between yourself and an opponent quicker or withstand enough damage as you move into engagement range." Mister Edwards gestures with a hand and a ball of wind forms before him. "Alternatively, you could perhaps dabble into ranged attacks, thus allowing you to fight up close or at a distance. Punching things with magic is good and all, but there is no shame in fighting at a distance when the opportunity presents itself."

"True, true..." you nod, committing the instructor's words to memory. "But then, I could just as easily train myself into being faster and tougher, and my lack of ranged options could easily be solved through projectile weaponry."

"Indeed. But then, why bother yourself with the weight of additional arms and equipment when the result of a thrown knife can easily and more reliably be down with a simple blast of pressurized wind?" Mister Edwards dispels the wind orb with another gesture. "And why exert yourself more when magic can do the brunt of the heavy lifting?"

"True again. More things to take into consideration." you nod. "Also..."

"Yes?"

"The spell you used after I landed the first hit on you." you state. "The thousand-cut wide area-of-effect spell. Could I somehow replicate it with my fists?

"I'm unsure if concepts used in wielding weapons could be applied in martial arts." Miser Edwards squints his eyes in thought. "The spell I used was one I had ingrained into myself after being ambushed one too many times; it involved amplifying my body to move fast enough to slash many times in a short span of time."

"So if I could replicate that same effect..." you muse, drawing a laug out of the instructor.

"Perhaps you can do so in your own time, then." he gestures at your group of friends. "Your companions seem to be in quite the pickle at the moment."

"Gods damn it. Thank you for your time, sir." you sigh, walking to them. "I take my eyes off them for a few minutes..."

Thankfully, their antics aren't too bad. It's just--

>Mellow using JoJo as a human shield against Saki's advancements>Sachi screaming at the newborn Mimic niblbing on her ear>「Star Platinum」clumsily flailing Saki's sword around>...Wait a minute, is that Vivio? And why is Mellow glaring at her?>Oh no, Miss Kanna and her oversized needle is scaring JoJo

>>2708064>Mellow using JoJo as a human shield against Saki's advancements>「Star Platinum」clumsily flailing Saki's sword around>...Wait a minute, is that Vivio? And why is Mellow glaring at her?All happening simultaneously.

>>2708028>He said that his personal style of Fist Wizardry was too potent to be passed down to meWould this mean to say that his style of Fist Wizardry would be too much for others to physically handle?

Perhaps that if you attempted it, your body would suffer some form of trauma due to overexertion or an inability to maintain a regular blood flow, resulting in deprivation of oxygen and nutrients to its vital organs?

>>2708107Hm, a balance of all of that and more? It will require greater work, but in the long run I’d say that even if we’re not the best in any one category, we would benefit the most from being versatile. We can’t always count on friends to cover weaknesses for us.

...uh. Can we unlock the not!hadoken? Street-fighter style is not so different from what we already do and at least one ranged option would be nice. That, or some sort of high speed technique to approach enemies. Or both.

>>2708064...On second thought, handling three people in the middle of potentially dangerous antics might be a little too bad after all.

You speed walk across the arena, closing in on your group's general direction with large distance-eating strides. You reach the wall interior, tense your legs, and jump over the wall separating the stands and the arena interior. Your raw leg strength carries you through the air and you land among the stands with a modest 'thump' that draws Sachi's attention.

"Kurt!" she cries out, relief clear in her face and voice. "Thanks the gods you're here!"

"Vander's here?" Vivio blinks and turns to you, her eyes lighting up. "Awesome! Hey, could I ask you about something?"

"Kurt, you stay the hell away from that molester and help me with the devil-woman here!" Mellow cries out, lifting JoJo by the shoulders in a surprising display of physical strength. "Begone from this place, devil! The lack of interest on JoJo's face compels you!"

"Mellow, as a friend I am only warning you once." JoJo says, voice dangerously blank. "Put me down before I put you down."

"Focus on the more pressing issue, man!" Mellow shakes him in the direction of the apparently mad Oriental woman. "Look at her! She's gone crazy!"

"Then what about me?!" JoJo barks, face still dangerously blank. "Am I some sort of sacrificial lamb?!"

Saki actually hisses as the two converse, trying to flank around JoJo to get at the the swordsman. Her clothes flutter with every aborted movement to a closed off opening, and you fight the urge to stare at the ongoing battle of reflexes happening not far from you. But a clumsy swing cuts that line of thought short as you back away from the offender.

「Star Platinum」stares at the weapon in its hand with apparent fascination, and you can smell the magic wafting off the blade. It feels angry.

"Hey, Vander!" Vivio calls out. "Ignore them for a minute, I have question for you!"

>Deal with Mellow, JoJo, and Saki>Deal with「Star Platinum」>Deal with Vivio

>>2708843>The lack of interest on JoJo's face compels you!"I love Jojo is being considered a piece of equipment to stop the Flood from reaching Mellow.>"Star.....put the sword down buddy, you ask to play with it later."then this>>2708849With deep application of palm to our face.

>>2708843>Deal with VivioJust sort of stare blankly at the massive snarl of fuck going on over by the group, mentally file that under "I am not dealing with that right now", and sliiiiiiiiiide our gaze over to Vivio.

>>2708843You take in the madness around you, of Saki trying to flank Mellow as he uses JoJo as a literal human shield, of「Star Platinum」swinging an enchanted sword with child-like innocence, of Sachi watching it all unfold with a look of morbid awe and horror. All of it, a mass of ridiculousness that is happening before your eyes. It is almost a mirror to the kind of insanity you usually see back in Luden, prior to large hunts by the town's resident monster hunters.

But seeing it here, in a place where you had expected it to be a temporary refuge done by people you had expected better of...

Well, it doesn't bother you much, if you had to be truthful. You've experienced worse, seen worse, and broke up worse. Still, you expected better of them and so you will punish them appropriately.

You inhale and exhale, condensing every urge you have to break up your group's little spat, put it in a locked room deep in the depths of your mind, then turn to Vivio with the best polite look you ca=ould muster given the current circumstances.

>>2708974>It is almost a mirror to the kind of insanity you usually see back in Luden, prior to large hunts by the town's resident monster hunters. .......was that a motherfucking Bloodborn reference, are we an eldritch abomination?

>>2708974"So, so!" Vivio skips over to you. "I heard you guys had Spellwork class today and I figured I'd visit after my classes ended and see how well you guys got all your asses kicked by Mister Edwards." she leans forward and whispers conspiratorially to you. "Don't tell anyone, but I heard from my mama that he used to be a tutor for the Imperial Family but got fired when he sent the Emperor's Favorite flying out of the palace's training grounds after she landed one hit. People said he doesn't like it when someone manages to land a hit in."

You recall that particular tid bit of information that Princess Vermillion gave, and choose not to clarify that it was a reflexive action on Mister Edwards' part.

"So when I got here, I was so pumped to take on someone that tough!" Vivio beams, pumping her arms and hopping in place. "Even mama never sent anyone from the Imperial Family flying out of anywhere! So whenever Spellwork class came along, I challenged him to a spar!"

"Did you win?" you ask, half-knowing the answer.

"No." she pouts, confirming your thoughts. "He was just... He's so good with that sword of his! And his aeromancy too! Ugh, how could anyone manage to get through that bladework and magic control, I'll never know." she turns to you, eyes shining with hope. "But you did!"

"It was very difficult, but indeed my friends and I succeeded in pushing through his defenses." you confirm. "It require flawless teamwork, skill, power, and getting blown out of the College grounds, but we bested him in a spar by landing three hits on his person."

"T-Three..." Vivio's eyes are beaming now, and she has her hands tucked close to her chest. "You guys landed three hits on Mister Edwards?!"

"Yes...?" you back away warily, but Vivio lunges forward and grabs your hand.

"Teach me!" she commands. "Teach me how you won against Mister Edwards!"

"Miss Talhausser--"

"Just call me Vivio," she waves off your words. "Talhausser's my mama and papa, and I don't like the formality."

"...Vivio then." you suck in a deep breath. "Teaching you how to win against a single opponent is an exercise in futility, but not for the reasons you think!" you cut off her pleading. "You already have one of the criteria needed to best Mister Edwards, you just lack the rest; teamwork and skill. Both of which you can get through sufficiently harsh training and hard work. There is no need to teach you how to best Mister Edwards in a spar, as you already possess the means with which to best him. You merely need to polish yourself further."

>>2709038>"Miss Tal- Vivio, surely you realise that, aside from myself, there were 5 other individuals who achieved this feat? Why specifically ask me, out of all of us, to-">a glance out of the corner of Kurt's eye reminds him what 4 of those individuals are doing right now>"...Alright, I take your point."

>>2709038...There are so many ways someone could misinterpret the young woman's word. Thankfully, Saki is too busy dealing with Mellow to make a quip and Sachi is still trying to get her sister's sword from「Star Platinum's」grasp.

"Bettering one's skills will feel good regardless of who does the p-polishing."

"But mama always told me that it feels better with someone else doing it with you!"

You try not to choke at the double-meaning behind the phrase. Gods, just what has the Vermillion Devil been teaching her child when it comes to training and fighting?! The words being said by the young woman would be more commonly heard from the lips of... less savory people! And even moreso, how could she say such phrases so innocently?!

"I-It would depend on who you do it with." you splutter. "Some find it more enjoyable with w-women while others prefer m-men..."

"I've always done it with dummies!" Vivio pouts. "And occasionally with mama and papa, but they're always busy so I have to make do with those toys..."

This is about training! TRAINING! The toys she speaks of are training dummies and stationary target! Imagine her fighting training golems, imagine her swing her magically charged fists at them, imagine how her musculature would flex and ripple under her workout clothes... tight... and soaked with--

"R-Regardless." you cough. "If you so desire to have a sparring partner to help you work on your battle techniques, then you can always ask for help from myself or the others if we are free. In fact, I regularly go out of college ground to exercise in the city; if you are an early riser and you desire to fit in some morning exercise, then you are more than welcomed to seek me out in the city."

"Really?!" Vivio beams. "Awesome!"

"Kurt!" Mellow cries, cutting off your reply to Vivio. "The waters are rising! Me and JoJo're starting to get in over our heads right now, so a little help would be nice!"

"Star, put that down! Don't swing it around!" Sachi ducks under another clumsy swing and lunges for it. "Gotcha! Now gimme that-- aaaaaahhh!!"

You track Sachi as「Star Platinum」starts floating upwards. The projection grins playfully at the young woman clinging to it and starts shaking. The action is enough to terrify Sachi and she clings to the projection tigher, turning into a mirror image of Saki when she was latched onto your arm not too long ago. Your attention is then drawn to Mellow and JoJo as Saki finally manages to trip them up and is slowly crawling to them. Mellow looks more than a little scared, while JoJo remains stoic and unfeeling.

Well, not completely. There's a vein bulging on his temple and his white-knuckled fists are shaking, from outrage or fear you are not sure.

"Huh." Vivio follows your gaze. "Do you want some help?"

>Thanks, but no (who do you handle?)>Thanks, and yes (who do you handle?)

>>2709177"It would be very much appreciated." you nod, grateful. "I shall handle「Star Platinum」and Sachi up there. If you could aid me and ensuring nothing happens to Mellow, JoJo, and Saki over there then that would be just perfect."

"Sure thin-- JoJo?"

You move away before she can question you, closing in on「Star Platinum」and Sachi's perilous mid-air shenanigans. You tense your legs and jump, easily reaching their height and grabbing hold of the sword in「Star Platinum's」grasp. Your other hand grab's Sachi by the bicep and you give the projection a solid head butt.

The force behind your blow is enough to make the project lose corporeality, and with it to suspend you and Sachi in the air, you both fall. Sachi panics at the lack of support and grabs you, wrapping herself around your arm.

You land in a crouch, sword in one hand and young Orient woman hanging off the other. You look at Sachi and note the beginning of tears in her eyes. She notices where you're looking and looks away.

"S-So I'm scared of falling, what're you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing at all." you offer her the grip of her sister's sword. "I believe this belongs to you."

"Thanks." Sachi releases her hold on your arm and takes the weapon. "Mother would've had our skins if we so much as chipped them. Element-based blades aren't easy to make and these are heirlooms."

"They much mean much to you, then." you note. Sachi smiles warmly and looks adoringly at the blade in her hands.

"They do." she nods. "Probably not as much to Saki-chan, but they mean a lot to me."

You nod and turn to see how well Vivio is faring against Saki, finding yourself moderately surprised.

>>2709340The Devil's Daughter does an admirable job restraining Saki from the two young men she has been hounding, holding her in a submission lock with an arm between her legs and one toned leg wrapped under the temptress' face. The sudden position has apparently knocked some sense back into Saki and shhe is looking around with some confusion.

"We're saved" Mellow breathes. "Thank the gods-- ark?!"

"Not yet you're not." JoJo snarls, wrapping an arm around Mellow's neck and roughly rubbing his knuckles on the young man's head. "Use me as a meat shield, will you? I'll show you how a Joestar repays wrongs done unto them."

"Owowowowowowo--!" Mellow flails. "Kurt, a little help!"

"You have swords, pry yourself free." you shoot. "It is not like it is「Star Platinum」keeping your head in a lock, right?"

"I--" a pause. "Oh yeah."

As the two devolve into non-lethal squabbling, you turn to the girls; all of whom a gather around a downed Saki. Vivio still has her in a submission lock, and from what you can tell, she isn't applying much force to it for some reason. Sachi hovers by, looking her sister over with sharp eyes and careful prods of her finger.

>>2709399"It's something I found out after a she started getting a little touchy feely back when we were kids." Sachi explains. "Originally, Saki-chan would just go after the nearest hot-blooded guy she could find and put the moves on them and nothing my family could do to beat that out of her. Then she got a little touchy when we were in the bath and... all that impropriety just ebbed out of her after she hugged me."

"Wait, her indecency is normal?!" Vivio recoils, shocked.

"Yeah, I've lived with it for years so I'm used to it." Sachi winces. "I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable with it, Talhausser-senpai. Even I don't know why she can get so out of hand, but skinship can take the edge off of it for a time."

"Is that why she clothing is so..." you wave a hand. "Loose? So that she can get into skin contact sooner?"

"Ah, that was an unintended side effect when she noticed that looser clothes could attract more attention from guys." Sachi sighs. "Thankfully, if she ever got into proper skinship range, then her burst of impropriety would lessen to the point where she wouldn't be considered 'lustful'."

"Then why stop her?" you quirk a brow.

"In the Orient, it's considered taboo for adult men and women outside of wedlock to engage in anything more than platonic contact." Sachi sighs. "And since we're both from a noble family, it would stain our honor. And if that happened, our family would be required to remove that stain." she slants a look in your direction. "And that removal process isn't always good."

The images her words conjure... aren't good.

"Uh, guys?" you turn to Vivio, who is squirming on the ground. "I-Is Saki okay? I think she's doing something to my leg..."

After extricating Saki from Vivio's legs and Sachi dragging her away to be fixed up, you reconvine the group to inquire what the hell happened while you had your discussion with Mister Edwards.

"It started when Saki came back," JoJo explains, letting Mellow heal the minor cuts and bruises on him. "She woke Sachi up and they had a rather heated discussion about impropriety and fairness. It escalated to the point where they devolved into a quick scuffle here on the stands. Mellow tried to intervene, but given his current state of dress..."

"She likes 'em well-built, apparently. The girl pounced on me and tried to have her way." Mellow grumbles, flushing a little in embarrassment. Vivio giggles. "I got away, grabbed JoJo, and started warding her off with him. Your unflappable stoicness makes you a great shield against thirsty thots, Jo."

"I resent that remark." JoJo grunts. "And I am not stoic. I can express myself just fine."

"If I didn't know you better, I would've thought you were just talking about the weather." Mellow points out. "Seriously, you make every threat sound empty and every suggestion sound like a conversation piece.It's like some put the face of a stoic hero from a children's storybook and glued it on your face. Hell, you even got the guardian spirit thing going for you, plus your group of companions! All you need now is an adventure to embark on!"

"What non-sense are you talking about?" JoJo narrows his eyes.

"Just sayin'. You look so unflappable most of the time, that's all."

"And the two of you interact like fire and oil." you pitch in. "It is like watching a vat of oil catching fire; the resulting blaze is equal parts amusing and amaing to witness."

>>2709636Before either Mellow or Vivio could turn their heated discussion into something more brutal, you step in and interrupt them with lightning quick finger flicks to their foreheads.

Vivio's head snaps back at the sudden introduction of force to her forehead. Mellow manages to intercept your flicking hand and with a triumphant cry, only for his back to hit the floor when your other hand comes around to bitchslap his face. JoJo laughs at the display and you return to your seat with a stern look set on your face.

"...Did you just bitchslap me?" Mellow asks from his place on the ground.

"Ow..." Vivio pouts at you.

"Let that be a lesson to you both that some things are not worth breaking into an argument for." you tell them. "So what if Vivio did not help you with Saki? You still came out of it just fine, Mellow. And Vivio, next time you find someone to be in trouble, simply standing around is not something you should be doing when you have the power to positively intervene."

"What different would it make if I did?" you shrug. "It served to chastise you for trying to prevent righteous flicking, and taught you that you cannot escape punishment forever. Forestall it yes, but never escape it."

"You did, didn't you." Mellow narrows his eyes at you.

"Regardless," JoJo reaches into his pocket. "Here you go Kurt."

In his palm is the newborn Mimic, tucked into a small ball of shape-shifting monster meat and sleeping innocence. The tiny monster stirs and blinks itself awake, looking around. It spots you, snarls, and lunges for you. You catch it and let the tiny thing nibble on the palm of your hand. Its action makes you chuckle in amusement.

>>2709864"I am not sure which name would fit a Mimic, considering they can transform into anything." you consider the tiny monster nibbling on your hand. "If if said transformation works once until they grow a little older."

"A common type of Eldritch being, more akin to pests that almost always tries to disturb an Eldritch Channeler's summoning ritual." JoJo answers her. "They usually possess more tentacles and are capable of limited speech, but they aren't too dangerous if the person has some means to defending themselves. It is the main reason why Eldritch Channelers are one of the few types of mages in the world who are not adverse to carrying muskets."

"I've fought a few of those things once." Mellow winces. "Magic does jack didly to 'em but they're really susceptible to iron and silver. Especially silver."

"How on earth did you get caught in an Eldritch Channeler's summoning ritual, Mellow?" you quirk a brow. He shrugs.

"There was a lot of strange things, but it all basically boils down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Can Mimics grow tentacles?" Vivio leans over your shoulder, poking the monster in your palm with a hesitant finger. "Or can they only get more limbs through mimicking other monsters or people?"

"The latter." you answer. "And do not worry about any troubles from this little Mimic. I will personally ensure it does not get any funny ideas." you bring the monster to your face. "Do you understand, Shoggy?"

Shoggy, the newly named Mimic, screeches at you and lunges forward to bite into your nose. You let it, and chuckle.

"...I'm tempted to say that it's dangerous to let the monster that close to your face, let a lone bite it, but you look like you have it under control." Mellow states. "Gods, just how high is your pain tolerance, man?"

>>2710124Saki and Sachi return shortly after, with Saki apologizing for her demeanor and Sachi explaining her circumstances to the boys.

Mellow perks up at the mention of skinship and nods understandingly at everything else, while JoJo's face scrunches up in deep thought as he goes over the information the sisters give him. Eventually he nods and promises to be a little more accommodating now that he knows how to calm Saki whenever she, and you quote; "lets her lust get to her head."

"...That sounds like a well-reasoned admission that you'd be willing to take off your shirt and hug her." Mellow points out.

"If it can calm her down faster, then I see no reason not to do it." JoJo shrugs.

"I'm not sure if you have perverted thoughts in your mind or you're just that willing to help my sister." Sachi narrowed her eyes at him. "It better be the latter mister. I wasn't joking about castration via incineration."

I would be tempted to develop our defensive capabilities next, but only in so much as to allow us to maintain our offense. So not so much blocking or dodging as being able to react to what our enemies do. If possible, I would like to get to the point where we could read an enemy's magic and deal with it the same way we would with an incoming punch or kick.

A small fireball shoots up from where the Hasegawa sisters are wrestling and impacts Mellow's face. The spell was weak, barely even an actual fireball and more akin to a concentrate ball of heat with the visual appearance of a fireball. It hits Mellow ad does very little damage, but the heat it contained is enough to send him sprawling on his back screaming.

"He looks like he's actually hurting though..." Vivio relaxes just a little. "M-Maybe I should go get the teacher?"

You are just about to do just that when JoJo pins you with a look and mouths 'leave him'. You feel the need to protests, but nod when you recall that Mellow used JoJo as a glorified shield against Saki. Besides, he isn't really hurt and he can heal fast. JoJo can have a little payback for it.

Class ends not long after, with Mister Edwards chastising Mellow for disturbing class with his screaming, Saki for indecent behavior in the middle of class, Sachi for causing Mellow's sudden bout of screaming, and Vivio for intruding. You and JoJo lead the downtrodden bunch out of the training arena following Mister Edwards' dismissal, following the crowd of fellow students as they make their way to the cafeteria for a well-deserved meal.

"So, to recap." Mellow say states. "We fought the teacher, Kurt and I got launched out of the arena and fought through a horde of monsters, Kurt got a monster pet, we walked our way back to the College, finished the spar, and now here we are."

"...Is there are reason why you're repeating all of that?" JoJo quirks a brow.

"I was in the mood for it, and I figured we'd like a brief look back." Mellow shrugs. "A six hour long class can make anyone lose a little memory."

"I remember my first Spellwork class with Mister Edwards." Vivio laughs. "It was great. Up until I sparred with him."

"Does he do that often?" Saki inquires. "Sparring with students, I mean?"

"Only against the stronger ones. The ones the headmaster supposedly vetted through himself and was certain they could last against him. Or at least, not get too badly hurt." Vivio sighs, nostalgic. "I fought him well, but I couldn't even land a single hit on him. He was just that good of a fighter, I guess."

"Have you landed a hit since?" JoJo asks. "You've been here for the last three semesters. Haven't you gotten better?"

"...No." she looks away. "I still spar with him occasionally, but I still can't land a hit on him."

"Then it appears that you lack training." you nod. "Better get to it, then."

"You're right." Vivio pumps her arms and looks ahead with eyes filled with determination. "I just have to train harder than ever now."

>>2710323Pacing seems ok. It's usually easier in a school setting, because you can divide time in lessons and breaks.Good amount of waifus, battles and shenanigans.

Now we just need to get started with Mister Edward advice to define our style, spar with Vivio, get it on with the Evil-guys-cospiration™ and experience drama. Be forced out of School and start a journey for a McGuffin, discover our little party backstories, waifu Phil...ahem, meet the master again, test ourseleves and witness Manly-Tears-from-master-to-disciple.

>>2710430"I will await the day you manage to push past your limits and gain the strength you have yearned for, then." you nod. "Now, I best get myself refreshed. I have spent the better part of the last few hours drenched in Mimic blood and it has long since congealed. A warm bath is well in order."

"Same here." Mellow smells his armpit and winces. "Ew."

"The smell was you guys?" Sachi blinks and Saki haws in understanding. "Huh. That explains why everything reeks of blood."

"You girls are used to the stink of monster blood?" you inquire.

"Yep!" Sachi grins. "We've been sent to deal with monsters and pests ever since we first got our blades! Father said it would be a good way to start desensitized to combat and blood, and we got used to the smell." she shrugs. "At first, I thought it was some of Philia's blood still on you guys, but with all the shenanigans taking place, I didn't have the time to tell you. Turned out, I was wrong."

"Can I come?" Vivio asks. "I wanna talk to the other person who could land a hit on Mister Edwards. Maybe learn a thing or two."

"I'm gonna take a bath and get something to eat." Mellow yawns. "And maybe a quick nap. That sounds nice."

"I think I'll eat first, and get something for Philia while I'm at it." JoJo says. "She must be hungry too if she spent most of her time in the infirmary resting. I'm sure she'd like something to munch on while we're there."

JoJo looks at her, and summons「Star Platinum」between him and the young woman. Saki rolls her eyes with a laugh and pats the projection's cheek, drawing heartwarming sounds from the girls and wide smirk from Mellow. JoJo himself looks horrified, while his projection is a torn between pride and caution. It will be amusing to see the consequences, at least.

"Very well then." you nod, separating from the group with Mellow. "Mellow and I would best be off. See you all soon."

>>2710538Your trek to the college dorms is pleasant and quiet for the most part. Most of the other students give you and Mellow a wide berth, owing to your lack of clothing on the upper half of your bodies as well as the dreadful scent of monster blood that clings to you. Some of the males that observe you look at themselves, then at you, then at the sky for some unknown reason.

They must not be used to seeing someone in such a state as yourself.

You and Mellow part ways at the main entrance of the dorms, and you journey to your room. There, you strip out of what remained of your clothes, bathed, and made certain to scrub every last bit of congealed Mimic blood off of yourself.

That done, you don a new set of clothes, open the windows to your room to air out any lingering scent of the mess you ended up splattering all over yourself back in the forest. That done, you open the door--

And come face to face with Kana Silvarius.

She looks up at you, face flat but carrying a hint of impatience. In her hands in the same enormous needle she brandished the other day.

"Will you give me a blood sample now?" the diminutive young woman asks.

>>2710630>Something else?You know what? Fine. If it will make her stop bothering us, then she can take a blood sample. We’ve got a pretty high pain tolerance, we can take it, even with that fuckoff huge needle. No god damn bone samples though.

Deep in your heart of hearts, you truly wonder who in their right mind would instill such values on their child. Who in their right minds would consider it alright to just ask someone for a sample of their blood in a blatant manner as she is asking right now, and pass that thought to their offspring? What kind of person are they, to have developed such a bizzare mindset?

"I am very tempted to simply go out on a walk, conveniently find your parents, and inquire as to why they thought it would appropriate for you to follow in their way of thought." you say at last. "As it is, I am half tempted to simply agree to your demands and give you a blood sample."

Kana Silvarius' face lights up as you kneel before her and present an arm. She gently holds your forearm, positions her needle, and pushes it in.

To her surprise, the oversized medical implement bounces off. A deep red glow radiates from the patch of skin where it hit, gradually spreading to your entire arm. Before she can pull away, you gently grab her wrist and level a look into her eyes that makes her pale.

"But before I do, you will answer my questions. Truthfully and without deceit." you tighten your gras on her wrist just enough to make your point known. "If I detect any sort of lie from you, then I will not hesitate to decline. Understand?"

"...Y-You will break my wrist?" Kana blinks fearfully, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"What? No, of course not!" you recoil, stunned. "I would never harm a non-combatant. I am holding your wrist to detect signs of deceit, not in preparation to break it!"

"A person's body does certain things in response to certain actions. Running incites elevated heart rate, prolonged exposure to the cold causes the body to generate its own heat through shivering," you quirk your mouth. "And lying incites minute changes in heart rate and body temperature, as well as sweat on the palms. By holding your wrist, I can detect the changes should you attempt any form of deceit."

...Or so the theory goes. In truth, you could only detect the temperature alterations and not the minute heart rate changes. Your hands aren't sensitive enough for such a task.

However, Miss Silvarius wouldn't need to know that.

"Oh. I-I see." Kana looks at your hand on her wrist, then at the syringe in her other hand. "Could you let go for a moment? I want to put my syringe down somewhere."

"You can do that later." you deny. "Now, questions. Will your request for samples of me end only at blood?"

"That's..." Miss Silvarius fidgets. "Y--." she pauses. "N-No."

You don't need to read any signs from her to know that she is being honest.

>>2710740>write inI am a fist wizard. My body is my Temple, and I can't in good conscience agree to your request, especially when it is not just for research. I am a patient man, but even I have a limit to how much pestering I can sustain. -pause- Think about your true reason. It's obvious that you are not willing to share it, but without knowing I am going to refuse.More, I am going to contact the school's staff to try and reach your parents, and I don't know if you are autorized ti roam freely insider the building.

>>2710740You stare at Miss Silvarius for a long moment, waiting for her to answer. When it is clear she wouldn't do such a thing, you let go of her hand and prop an arm on your knee. She is reluctant to tell you of her schemes? Understandable. But this lack of information is something you cannot accept.

"Miss Silvarius," you start, making the tiny girl jump. "You must understand that, as a Fist Wizard, my body is my temple. More so than any other physical oriented magic-user. As such, and out of good conscience, I cannot accept any request that has me give out parts of myself to others without any information. This is especially moreso when the requester wishes to do more than simply research said piece of myself."

You pat her head, and smile consolingly.

"So, once again, I must decline your request for a sample of myself." she turns to you, mouth moving to say something. "I am a patient man Miss Silvarius, but even I have a limit to how much pestering I can take."

She looks down, defeated, and tears gathering in her eyes. You feel a small pang of regret at your words, but it had to be said.

"But," you continue, pulling your hand away. "I may be persuaded to change my mind if you can answer my next question truthfully. What do you need these samples for, besides your research?"

The tiny girl fidgets, thumb prodding the overly large needle of her syringe. Eventually she sighs and nods her head.

"I-I was sent here by my p-parents..." she wrings her hands. "They wanted to get a sample of a Kinetomancer's blood for their project. Th-They didn't tell me what that project was, and they p-punished me whenever I tried to pry. They just told me that y-your blood was important, and that I had to get it at all costs."

>>2711801>"I-I was sent here by my p-parents..." she wrings her hands. "They wanted to get a sample of a Kinetomancer's blood for their project. Th-They didn't tell me what that project was, and they p-punished me whenever I tried to pry. They just told me that y-your blood was important, and that I had to get it at all costs."

>>2711852.........you mean the same quest with the little girl being forced to take not only blood but bone, bone marrow, and cartilage samples, for an unknown experiment she is not allowed to learn about? That sure as hell sounds like some FMA bullshit going on right there.

>>2711877People were complaining about us being overpowered, why not temper that with some body horror after the mimics got reckt in broad daylight.>Mysterious little girl is being manipulated by her parentsWith a giant syringe, the kind to take bone marrow samples, as a matter of course.

>>2711801You stiffen at the noise, and Miss Silvarius pales. You rush past her as the other students come out of their rooms to see what is going on.

Around a corner, you see a few Mundane-field students run past. A handful sprint to the student dorms, pale-faced and even sporting injuries, just as Gehrman rolls out of the warden's house to check the noise. The air around him ripples and shimmers like water flowing around a newly inserted foot. From behind the corner, you hear another scream and see a large form step out.

It is a Mimic, like the ones you and Mellow fought in the forest; larger than its lesser kin and smaller than the Treant Mimic. But it is unlike any other Mimic you have ever seen; with corded muscle armored in tough bark and stone, with a vertical maw and no eyes. A large wooden tentacle stretches out from the top of the monster's form, and it attached to its end is a person. A fellow Imperial College student.

The student jerks and the monster shifts, rotating to the side and gathering mana in its maw into a solid sphere of destructive force. You swear that it is aimed directly at you

"Everyone down!" Gehrman roars, rippling around him coalescing into a single humanoid shape.

The magic Mimic fires the projectile in its mouth at the dorm building and you hear terrified screams of your fellow students. Behind you, Miss Silvarius trips and falls.

The rippling behind Gehrman expands into a shimmering wall that blocks the incoming projectile, which explodes in a burst of iridescent light and searing heat and toppling force that is enough to send you stumbling back. You would have survived that blast easily, you note. But the building? And everyone in it?

"Evacuate the dorms! Quickly!" Gehrman orders as more of those magic Mimics make themselves known. "I will hold them off!"

>>2711801Man, I didn't want to have to punch old people in the face but it looks like that's the only option here. Oh well, the smile will be for justice not the beating of the less physically capable I swear.

>>2711889You shake off the initial shock and take a deep breath. The dorm warden gave an order, and so you will comply.

"Everyone get out of the building!" you yell, pulling Miss Silvarius to her feet and gesturing your fellow dorm inhabitants to the stairs. "Leave your belongings here and exit this place! Do so in an orderly fashion and help those who have fallen over! Quickly!"

Your loud words are enough encouragement to spur everyone into action, everyone hurrying down the stairs. Further away, you hear people shouting and yell the same, though this time with directions to where they should be going. As the main assembly point has become a battlefield between Gehrman and the strange Mimic, the students will have to congregate elsewhere to reach safety.

A tug on your pant leg reveals Miss Silvarius standing stock still with terrified eyes. You scoop her up and set her on your shoulder as you follow the tail-end of the evacuation, checking rooms to ensure no-one is left behind.

All the while, the entire building echoes and shakes with the sounds and vibrations of Gehrman fighting the invading monsters.

You reach the ground floor and find that the upperclassmen are managing the evacuation efforts, with individual leading groups of their fellows out of the building. Among these upperclassmen is Joshua, whom you note is in heated discussion with Mellow.

You approach and they nod at you.

"What is the situation?" you ask, setting Miss Silvarius down and tucking her close.

"We're getting everyone out through the emergency exits at the back of the building." Joshua tells you. "Upperclassmen from the Magic-field are leading Mundane-field students and non-combatant Magic-field freshmen out. I've already sent runners to get security and other teachers, but there's no telling if this is an isolated incident or if there're more monsters attacking the school."

A particularly powerful rumble sends everyone stumbling and dust falls from the ceiling. Piece of the walls fall off, but you turn any within reach into dust.

>>2712053"We're short on people to lead the non-combatants out of here, and a quick headcount says that we're still missing a few people in the building." Joshua answers. "At the same time, we also don't have a lot of people to check the area surrounding Mister Gehrman and the battlefield."

"Why would you want to do that?" you blink.

"Stragglers." Joshua grimaces. "Some people think its better to hide than to run when monsters come. It's a valid idea, but they put themselves at risk as collateral if a fighter comes in to deal with the monsters. Right now, he's holding back because he isn't sure if the area he's in is cleared of students, and he won't go all out unless he's sure the area's clear of any students."

"Crap." Mellow winces. "It's a warzone out there. Who'd be crazy enough to go do that job?"

"If no-one volunteers, then I'll be that crazy person." Joshua says. "I know this place like the back of my hand at this point. I can canvass the whole area and be back sooner than you think."

"But things out there'll tear you to pieces!" Mellow protests. "And the old man won't go all out if you're in the way!"

"Someone has to do it." Joshua stresses. "And as an upperclassman, its my responsibility to do so. You two're tough enough, so you guys can help too if you want." he glances at the group of students being led out. "And nobody'll blame you if you decide to leave."

>Volunteer to lead students to safety>Volunteer to check the dorm building for stragglers>Volunteer to check the surrounding area for stragglers

"A fist Wizard fleeing from danger? What non-sense is that?" you you puff out your chest. "I shall not dishonor myself and my master's teachings by running away from mere fear! I will volunteer to canvass the building for any stragglers instead."

"Why would you volunteer for the easiest shit?" Mellow quirks a brow. "I thought you'd go for checking the surroundings for people."

"For the record, the easiest thing would be leading the students away from here." you correct him. "And I am volunteering to go through the dorm building again because my strength will allow me to lift up any heavy debris hat might have trapped anyone inside. I am sure your sword can do the same by cutting, but then..." you shrug. "You do not appear armed at the moment."

"No shit sherlock, I wa just about to arm up when everything went down." Mellow winces. "And I don't know the place too well, either."

"You can use my sword." Joshua unsheathes his weapon and offers it grip first to your friend. "I know a few defensive spells myself, and since I'll be leading students out, I probably won't be needing it much."

"Which means I get to go canvassing the area where the old man is fighting the monsters." Mellow laughs hollowly as he takes Joshua's sword. "Great. Fucking perfect."

"Miss Silvarius, go with Joshua." you push the tiny girl to the upperclassman. "He will lead you to safety."

"Who--" Joshua shoots you a look as the tiny girl fidgets near him, then shakes his head. "Later then. Get moving you two.

>>2712265Gehrman is fighting the monsters outside the dorm buildings. Kurt's in them, and looking for stragglers. Mellow's going to canvass the area where Gehrman's fighting, while Joshua's going to lead the students out.

>>2712238Every time I see "non-sense" I read it as if the person saying it is saying it as if it is two distinct words instead of saying "nonsense" and for some reason I feel like it fits for Kurt to say it that way.

>>2712291Eh, too late to complain about wasting my vote now. We'll just have to actually rescue people instead of getting to have a fun fight......Jojo better enjoy his chance to fight a monster when he gets here.

>>2712238You nod, spare a parting glance at Mellow, and move back up the stairs.

You check the floor for survivors, managing to find a few hiding under beds or tables and leading them out as the battle between Gehrman and the magic Mimics grows in intensity. You repeat your search pattern on the next three floors, finding more students cowering in fright or trapped under heavy rubble. Those who can still move you have carry the wounded to the ground floor as you proceed higher up.

On the fifth floor, the battle wanes as the monsters roar. You turn to it and see that half of the remaining monsters have turned to converge on a separate target that you cannot see. You grit your teeth and hope that Mellow finishes his duties in time before the monsters cause more damage.

"H-Help..." a voice weakly calls out. "S-Someone...!"

You turn to the source and find that it originates from behind a partially collapsed door. You haul the rubble out and step into the room.

Inside you see a young woman whose leg is partially pinned under a heavy looking piece of debris. She sees you and her movements become more frantic.

"Calm down miss." you approach and gingerly lift the rubble off her trapped limb. "There. Can you walk?"

You duck low, feeling the air move overhead in the wake of something large moving past.Your muscles glow red as you spin in place as you rise, knocking aside whatever it is that was trying to catch off-guard. What greets you makes your blood boil.

You see the prehensile limb of the monster undulate before you, the desecrated body of an Imperial College student hanging off its tip. The monster must have gotten past Gehrman somehow. The limb undulates a few more times before lunging for you with a burst of speed.

You move, dodging and deflecting the monster's attacks with speed and reflexes that your large form belies, waiting for the right moment.

It comes when the limb rears back, tensing like a viper, before springing forward.

You set your shoulders and feet and catch it by digging your fingers into the magic Mimic's flesh. The force behind the limb's motion is enough to rattle your bones and forces your feet into the floor, but you hold and raise your arm, hand flat and fingers straight. Internal fills it with red light, while external mana wreathes it is a raging miniature tornado. Your arm tenses, gathering strength, and springs downwards.

Your knife hand severs the limb and the monster it is attached to screeches in apparent agony.

The building trembles and cracks spiderweb across the floor. You turn, scoop the young woman in your arms, and jump just as more tentacles burst outwards from the floor.

You and your charge tumble through the air as more prehensile limbs flail madly to hit you. You set your leg and your feet land on one of the undulating limbs.

You slide on it, moving downwards at tremendous speed towards another one of the strange Mimics. Just as you are about to hit it, you jump, adjust your stance, deliver a powerful kick. Such is the strength behind your blow and the speed which you were moving that you burst through the monster like musket shot going through a living body.

You land just as the recently dead monster pitches forward, dying. The other monsters turn to you, snarling.

>>2712393You raise a leg and bring it down, the floor under you breaking apart under the force your blow. You fall through into the room below and start moving to the wall, intent on making yet another entry way you can traverse through until you can find a safe place you can deposit your cargo.

But as you move through the gap, the monsters' prehensile limbs, ornamented with the bodies of your fellow student, zip through the hole your stomp made. One of the limbs releases its corpse ornament to wrap around the neck of the young woman you carry, tightening like a noose and making your heart freeze in fear.

"No--" she screams, as she is dragged out of your grasp. "AAAHHHKK!"

"Hold on!" you roar, lunging after her. The free limbs move to bar your way, the dead bodies of your fellow students moving like uncoordinated puppets to pin you in place. "No!"

You rear back a hand and land a solid blow to a limb, turning it to mush. The remaining limbs wrap around your arms and pull you back out the hole you made with your stomp, suspending you in the air between the four remaining monsters like a marionette over an audience. Before you, the young woman you were just about to rescue is tossed away like a ragdoll.

Her terrified screams are cut off by the sound of something wet and heavy splattering all over the hard ground.

The monsters surround you, and charge mana in their maws. In the background, you hear Gehrman yelling something, and Mellow cursing at something.

Your heart thrums with something you haven't felt in a long time. Something white hot, ugly, but no less powerful than what you usually feel. Your body glows red and you snarl angrily.

>>2712596And we tried to run from multiple enemies in a small space>>2712598>Tries running away with a victim from enemies that could easily chase and snare us as a good ideaI honestly have no idea why you thought that would work.

>wants to go into combat with a noncombatant literally on their person thinking it would be safer

Same line of logic. And the exact same thing could happen either way and was in fact more likely if we would have stayed to fight. You're acting like GUESSING about the dice makes you right. Seriously.

>>2712613Better to start the fight on our terms and have their focus on us then trying to catch the victim.>>2712615Fair enough, punching out fireballs would actually be useful against these things.>>2712621Welp, its our body at stake now and we have nothing holding us back, so the useless muscle as you put it is about to start swinging.

>>2712547Mana swirls around you, less wind and more raw energy spurred into motion by pure overwhelming willpower. You throw you head back and roar as the Mimic let loose with their attack, bathing you in four concentrated blasts of raw mana.

Your body burn, your flesh writhes in agony, your vision is consumed by light and whiteness, and you world erupts into pure pain.

But physical pain is no match for the ache in your heart at the failure you suffered. The guilt that gnaws at your heart is arguably even greater than the injuries being inflicted on your being. The rage you feel at your failure brightens the internal red glow which powers your muscles, and new strength courses through your limbs as a result.

The image of the woman's terrified visage before she was tossed away is seared into your memory as agony reaches its peak.

Then it is over, the pain subsiding and the whiteness fading.

In its wake, it leaves you powered up with rage, and the monsters exposed and ripe for counter attack.

You roar and wrench your arms free of their captivity, ripping off the prehensile limbs in the process. The moment your feet touch the ground, you spring upwards and impact the magic Mimic's bulk, reaching in to tear the creature apart piece by piece. You movements force the beast to tumble back and fall down, but you continue to tear at it even as its fellows converge on you with scuttling legs and slavering maws.

You rear back a fist, flood as much mana as it could take, and punch.

The resulting shockwave turns the monster under you to paste and forces the other beasts to stumble backwards.

"BEASTS!! ALL OF YOU!!"[/B] you roar. "THERE WILL BE NO RESPITE FOR YOUR KIN!![/B]

>>2712681Hold on, the weak in particular might be a morbidly obese weakling. That might be worth curling. Or do you mean on ice? That might be more difficult, most people squirm when exposed to cold surfaces.

>>2712701i think you are right on the morbidly obese people, but i don't think you can have a decent grabbing point. Either the skin breaks or the mass shifts to the side. On the other hand, holy shit, that is a weird situation. curling weak people while doing curls with weak people.

>>2712652You move before any of the creatures could recover, body checking into one with such force that it is lifted off the ground and falls heavily onto the ground. You raise both fists, roar, and bring them down hard in a two-handed smash. The magic Mimic pops like a ripe blister, splattering monster innards everywhere.

The other creatures are just beginning to turn to you, but you are already in motion. Hopping off the dead Mimic, you pick up a piece of debris, toss it upwards, and punch it at one of the creatures. The projectile hits with the force of a cannonball and shears through the victim in a visceral spray of blood and innards. You roar again and lunge for the nearest creature you can get your hands on.

The remaining two creatures try to fight back, with one lashing out with its grabbing appendage and while the other fired another blast of mana from its maw. You would have applauded their primitive form of cooperation, but you are simply too angry[/].

You dodge under the blast and catch the appendage. You pull back and tug the fiend off balance. Then you lean back and begin to spin.

The monster if lifted off the ground, flying upwards in a graceful circle, before it impacts the remaining Mimic with bone breaking force. Both monsters crumple to the ground in a heap of broken bones and bruised meat.

Something changes in the air and the creatures that are not locked in combat with you turn and flee.

Not far from where you are, you hear voice, people, and the rapid footfalls of people approaching. From amidst the carnage and kicked up dust, you spot Mellow and Gehrman approach with equal parts relief and caution.

Personally, I feel like character death is one of the most sacred parts of storytelling, and I dislike stories that treat death as an occurrence like any other, especially when it doesn't fit the setting. So I want death to have impact, especially the first on-screen death and the first Kurt failed to prevent.

If death is to have narrative impact, and the narrative is based heavily on dice rolls, it isn't necessary for those rolls to change, but I personally think it's a nice way of doing it. It's not like it's that unrealistic, magic being emotionally controlled is a super common trope.

And people aren't going to complain about dice system changes if you open up a proper discussion about them, yknow.

Never run a quest myself before, but I'd suggest bringing it up at the end of a session/thread. Maybe set up a strawpoll too and leave it running for a while. If you have readers there they'll be interested in the discussion, I'm sure. XCOM Quest has been doing it recently in the same manner.

>>2712751You roar again, tense, and jump, the ground cracking under the force of your legs sending you upwards.

You hear your friend and the dorm warden yell after you but you don't listen. Rather, you can't.

All you hear now is the pounding of your heart, your own ragged breathing, the wind howling, and the nearing sound of your targets scuttling away. As you close in, you note that they still have the corpses of your fellow Imperial College students still stuck on their grabbing appendages. The sight of which enrages you further and you glow an even brighter red.

You bring your arms up and force them downward as you enter melee range.

The force behind your action kicks up dust and debris, and sends the remaining creatures into disarray. You take advantage of the confusion to grab those unaware and tear them apart limb from limb before ending their miserable existences with a solid blow of your fist, uncaring for the minor injuries they inflict upon you in the process.

Your rage dulls the pain, the staccato beating of your heart deafens the sounds, and your red glow hides the blood that bleeds from your many injuries.

When the dust settles, you are surrounded by more than a dozen corpses of those creatures, with the last five nearing a partially collapsed section of the wall surrounding the College. You move to pursue, but find yourself falling to the ground. A look at your nets you a good look at your right leg, bent sideways.

They are too far away to engage in melee and you can't close the distance fast enough to catch up.

>>2712872You raise a hand and gather as much mana as you could into a ball. From the air, from the ground, from your own reserves, you draw upon what mana you have in your reach and concentrate.

The orb of pure power is compressed into an increasingly smaller space, gradually turning into a large beach ball containing enough energy to flatten a small forest. With a thought, the large sphere is set alight and the heat radiating from it scorches your hand. But your rage carries you through the pain, and you muster enough focus to aim.

Then you throw.

The sphere of condensed mana screams through the air towards the group of fleeing monsters. It lights up the night as it travels through the air, momentarily bringing light into the dark.

Then it detonates, and a second sun rises on the forested area outside the Imperial College. The air burns, water evaporates, rock melts, trees are reduced to cinders, and the monsters that dared invade the College grounds and take the lives of your schoolmates are sublimated into non-existence. Their agonized screeches and roars fade into silence as your Cruel Sun consumes them and everything within its searing embrace.

A long moment passes, before the light fades and the heat ebbs, revealing a patch of scorched earth and burnt tree stumps. Virtually nothing is left of the monsters that made you draw upon your inner well of rage, and with them gone, your rage is satisfied.

You kneel on the ground, tired and spent, surrounded by the broken corpses of monster as people approach.

And that wraps up thread four of FWQ! Shit's come up so I won't be able to give an accurate estimate on when the next session'll start, but I'll keep you guys posted via Twitter.

Now, I've noticed that some of the players aren't quite as receptive to the current dice system I'm using. Understandable.

So, I'll open up discussion on changes to the dice system and see if you guys have anything to say, advice to give, and comments to send my way. Also, feel free to speak up on anything you do and don't like about the how the qst is managed. Anything/Anyone you'd like to see added as OCs, trope you'd like to see invoked/defied, etc.

>>2712972oh well, shit happens.Although i see no problem with the dice as they are right now, they could probably be changed to an exploding mode. You give kurt some base points in his fist wizard abilities and remove the crit fails and crit hits that the dice provide. If the dice reach the criteria where we have a crit hit, we roll again and add the resulting number as a bonus (on top of the original number we rolled plus our base fist wizard points). On the other hand, if we crit fail, instead of just failing immediately, we roll the dice again and the resulting number gets subtracted from some arbitrary base points we have. We keep repeating the same process until we stop having crits or we have a negative crit related to the original roll(in which case the last bonuses get cancelled).

This mode might give us some sort of leeway regarding the randomness of the dice, while at the same time making us feel that we DO know what we are doing and at the same time keep the same aftermath from a crit hit/fail.

>>2712972Personally, I do like the contests in some scenarios. I think it was used really well in the fight with Mister Edwards. It's particularly cool to see just how we stack up against our opposition by seeing what dice they're rolling.

My issue with it, though, is that it kinda feels less fun against situations and opponents who aren't a Big Deal™. Like, it should be up to our power whether we can overcome a challenge, not whether or not the challenge rolls well. I know it's not much different, it's all RNG, but it just feels shitty. It feels like the girl died not because we got shitty rolls, but because you got a good roll.

I don't think the contests need to go away completely, but it'd be nice if you either hid your rolls some of the time or just came up with a reasonable DC for actions against non-named characters.

>>2712972>>2713011Oh, also! I love that you're letting Kurt fail like this. Not protecting him from the consequences of not being strong enough to protect others. It's great. I just hope going all Rage Mode had consequences as well.

>>2712964oh fuck that was an intense way to end the session. fuck I want to read more, this is too good.

>>2712972>I won't be able to give an accurate estimate on when next session'll start.Reeeee

>receptive to the current dice systemThe most confusing part was perhaps that it was unclear for the very first vote for a dice improvement, the 2d10/1d12. But so far everything feels like fun desu. Situational buffs are fantastic for storytelling like the other anon said. Also it's not like it's easy at all for Kurt to ever get mad mad like he did now so it's not like it would be a constant thing that happens in every fight. Besides most of the fights he's been in has him holding back all his force. So this works perfectly lore-wise and I really like the idea. Other situational power-ups / buffs would be neat too. Say using certain well thought out battle tactics with jojo/mellow/hentai twins/best girl.

>>2713011well we didn't really need to roll for the guys in the alleyway so everything so far seems to have been in line with what you think it should be. >because we got shitty rolls/ you got good rollsLife's not fair anon. We can't always save the poor drummer kid. Besides, if it wasn't in place we would probably never fail and if we had to constantly roll to save a single side character that isn't in the main cast, it would probably take forever to save someone. Fights are hectic and losses with an unknown enemy is almost always certain. Though I have to agree it does feel like it was a definite change of pace from being able to go from beating up hundreds of mimics and teaching delinquents to be good people to someone dying right in front of us without being able to do something about it.

>>2713022also we haven't had much experience with the system in the first place and every time when the first loss rolls out in every quest, it's never well received. Shit I can't count the amount of times anons got mad that something happened due to bad rolls. Yes they bring a certain uncertainty when it comes to battles. But as is, it's perfectly fine and if you did want to change things, however simple they are, then you'd have to rework the entire system to make it feel right.

>>2713022>Life's not fair anon.My point was never that we should have beaten those rolls we lost. My point is that, at least to me, it felt like we were losing *because* the QM was rolling well. And I really don't like that because that can draw out a spiteful feeling.

Losing against someone who's getting lucky feels a lot shittier than failing a task because you got unlucky, right?

>>2713034personally, i think we lost because we were not given(or were unaware that we could input) a third option. We literally could have jumped away from danger. Maybe we just need to think outside the box?

>>2712972The dice system is more or less fine as is, though I'm wondering how much variety of options there is for Kurt to mechanically become stronger - past this point, there's basically no reason to take more dice over an increased die size. Having two degrees of variance with QM vs player rolls make success versus failure far more variable than in quests with fixed DCs, but as long as you understand that Kurt could just unexpectedly fail a roll out of nowhere, there shouldn't be any problems.

Perhaps the issue here is more of the inconsistency in the severity of consequences of failure. In the fight against Edwards, we failed the DC multiple times, yet never suffered any lasting consequences for it. Yes, we understood that our opponent was out of our league, but it took multiple failed rolls for Kurt's condition to gradually worsen to the point where defeat was foreseeable.

But in this case, we failed one roll - for a choice where we specifically opted to prioritize the safety of a non-combatant - and she straight-up died for it. As has been said, death is not an event that should be thrown around lightly, especially given Kurt's motivations for becoming a Fist Wizard in the first place.

Doing a high-lethality quest where failure comes with great consequences is fine on its own, but the tone and the expectations we've built up so far run rather contrary to that.

>>2713022Situational buffs, eh? It'll be useful under certain conditions and happenings, and I'll be justified in giving the players a negative modifier to their rolls if they make a bad choice that'll come back to bite them in the ass. I'll consider it.

>>2713030This dice system wasn't the first one I made for this quest. There are three others I tried and tested before I got this thing up and running, and with the discussion about it, I might test them out on one-shot qsts to see if they're worth using for this one.

>>2713043>>2713046Good points. I'd try to justify that the roll wasn't for Kurt getting away but for keeping the girl safe from the tentacles, but if that were the case then you'd be rolling for the girl and not Kurt.

Aight, I think there's enough opinions here to warrant a look into potential replacement dice systems. I'll see what I can do and make a one-shot quest to test it out when I get the chance.

>>2708107>Kurt's magic style is still undeveloped and you guys have the choice to develop it into whatever you'd like. Any idea what that would be? Offensive? Defensive? Agile?

>>2710323I'm happy to see wherever you want to take this. I have confidence thus far.

While I do like most all the girls thus far, especially Sachi and Vivio, I'm hesitant to go too hard on waifu routes. Mostly because it leads to lots of back and forth bickering among the thread, stupid unproductive drama, and pulls attention away from other characters. Jojo and Mellow are both pretty awesome bros, but I also want to see more from Joshua and our dorm warden. And the gang leaders we apprehended. Basically, I'd like everyone to get reasonably equal interactions and expand on their character, rather than one waifu shoving everyone else into the sidelines.Plus I like how pure and strong willed Kurt is. Its a nice break to not be super-dense, nor as-thirsty-as-saki, when it comes to members of the opposite sex. There are hijnks and Kurt is still acknowledges their approaches, but he is extremely mature about all of it, and as a result its still a very fun ride without most of the shit throwing that would be entailed. I appreciate that more than the waifus themselves.

>>2712805I'd have to agree that sudden power up as plot demands is fairly boring. I suppose you could justify a 'berserker' mode that improves performance when in sufficiently dangerous/angry scenarios. Like the very northern berserkers you mention in OP, channel magic into a war trance.The main problem I have with this is that it'd probably be something Kurt would have to train, like any other combat style. Not get out of being angry.We'd have to go out of our way to train our magic style, and more importantly our mentality, to achieve war-trance-death-mode. We could probably pull off a relatively weak and underutilized method right now, just out of sheer instinct, will, and adrenaline. But if we want to get to the point where we can get truly massive combat buffs while in a combat haze, we'd need to purposefully train said technique.

Another option to balance it would be that it reduces our perception of the world or control over ourselves, which I doubt neither Kurt nor the audience would enjoy. As kurt has pride in his self discipline, and it would lessens the feedback and input the audience has on his choices.

>>2712972Damn, and here I thought with how long the last thread was, I'd be able to show up before the end. I don't have a major issue with the dice system at the moment. Seems balanced. Situational buffs/debuffs might be alright if anon can provide sufficient tactical approaches to justify them or we make a bad call, but I don't think its enough of an issue to revamp the entire system. At most like a +1 or +2 appended to a roll.

>>2717970>>2708107>Kurt's magic style is still undeveloped and you guys have the choice to develop it into whatever you'd like. Any idea what that would be? Offensive? Defensive? Agile?Derped on the first post.

We've already seen 5 different and unique styles of kineomancy. Our current style of pumping our body full of mana and enhancing it from within. Mellow and Edward's style of projecting it through weapons using them as extensions of their bodies. Mellow's ability to push magical and physical effects into others via contact. Jojo's ability to project his physique into a physical manifestation. Vivio's style of pushing great waves of internal mana into external bursts in the form of lazors (or other elements potentially). And our master's style, which most likely involved using controlled and measured strikes to hit key locations on a target, which he then used to pump mana into the target for various effects, similar to mellow's.

Even before this sudden tonal shift, I was thinking Kurt should take a more protective magical style. Not necessarily defensive, but protective, like a guardian or party tank. Failing to protect his sister would probably be a pretty big impression on what he wants to learn, and Kurt over all seems like the kind of guy who'd prefer to take extra strong blows in other people's stead. Still keep it fairly balanced in terms of offense, defense, and agility. But with a marked focus on protecting others from harm either direct or indirect. A couple ways we could do this, based on what we've seen, and in no way a complete list. >Just making ourselves the wall, focus more on enhancing our already amazing durability, but also our ability to physically intercept with ourselves. Probably the easiest, since its just body enhancement, which we already do. Basic, but already shown to be effective in most any situation.>Projecting walls of mana out to expand our already sizable coverage, and perhaps protect something we are not physically able to intercede. Something like Mass Effect's Sentinel Armor or hard light barriers or what have you. Could definitely ask jojo for help in this magical style, or maybe Vivio. It'd be easier to make flat walls than full on Stands. Either throw them up to absorb hits, or create choke-points/cage matches to limit enemy movement. Or just smush them between barriers if need be.>Imbue others with our innate bulkiness. Basically grab others and expand our mana field to encompass them. Kind of like Mellow's healing, I'd think.>Elemental Bending. More because the Sisters and Philia would be able to help us with this a lot, since they are all pretty focused on that branch. Earth bending would most likely be our speed, but other elements like wind, wood, or metal might also work. Elements in general tend to be pretty robust and versatile.

Otherwise, we do great in melee regardless. Main question for me is if we want to use our magic to supplement our range or not.

Also, question for QM. Does Kurt have a particular physical combat style? His heavy set build seems like it would lend itself well to boxing, wrestling, and krav maga.Cause so far it seems like he just does the punching and shit dies. Its effective in its simplicity, and he is knowledgeable about a wide variety of other, more complex moves. I was just wondering if he had a set fighting style that he prefers to use, and what kind of general traits/maxims it focuses on.

Both for filling out my idea of how we fight, and so we might get more ideas of what kinds of magic would pair well with his particular style.

>>2719431Aye, but the choice right now is how we want to grow our magic style. He uses certain magics that could easily be incorporated into our style, so its a pretty decent inspiration if we choose it. Just like elemental powers like the sisters or what have you.

I feel like kinetomancers would more often then not use weapons of some sort. We tend not to because we are specificly a Fist Wizard martial artist who practices fighting styles that don't incorporate weapons. And Jojo doesn't cause he can project his stand. Again, more throwing these ideas out just to get some ideas of what we can do with our magic, not all will necessarily work or mesh as well as others.